Valve-control handle and lock for motor cars



May 27, 1930.

Filed Dec. 1o, 1926 W FP@ l TES` TE- Si@ ALVIN ivi. CRAIG, or NRW RAVEN,CONNECTICUT, AssrGNoR To UNIVERSAL GEAR. SHIFT coRroRAfrroN, AcoRroRAfrIoN or DELAWARE PATE] Application filed Becember 10, 1926.Serial No. 153,795'.

My invention relates to improvements inV the construction, mounting andlocking ofV a valve control handle which is used in connection withautomobiles, and particularly in" a position near the steering wheel,for the" purpose ofcontrolling some valve, and more particularly a valvefor shifting gears, al-

though it can be used for other purposes. My

invention is intended'to produce a valve control handle which is mountedconveniently to the steering wheel, and which in its movement controlsthe position of the machine gears. In such a construction it is possiblesometimes to move the handle into position to shift the gears to reverseaccidentally', and

sometimes with disastrous e'ect. inven-v tion is intended to provide adetent which will normally prevent any such movement of thel handle, butwhich can be released by the operator by a simple touch of the fingerwhen manipulatingk the handle so as to permit the movement to reverseposition.

The invention is also intended to mount and arrange the control handleor leverV so r that it and the quadrant on which it operates can besafely carried on the steering rod and rotated as a whole therewith, andyet has the handle pivoted independently of the steering rod so that itcan by no possibility interfere with the free manipulationof the rod, orprevent easy access to any connected parts. The invention is furtherintended to mount the quadrant and control handle .in

such a manner that the handle canbe smoothly and easily operated,'willautomatically lock itself in any desired position butso as to be easilyreleasedyand in which the parts are constructed to withstand ratherrough usage without injury. The invention can be used to advantage incontrolling a pneumatic valve in the type of gear shift mechanism shownin my application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No.107,592, filed May 8th, 1926, but the invention is not limited to anysuch use, and the quadrant, handle, and lock or detent therefor canbeused on many types of valve control. These and other advantages willbe better understood from the following description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming apart oflthis specification, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts' in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of my invention as adapted forattachmentto afsteering rod. Y Figure 2 is a broken verticalfsectiononthe line 2 2 of Figurel. v

Figure 3 is a broken inverted plan of a part of the handle, quadrant,andthe detent on th e" quadrant, and

Figure 4: is a section on the line L -4 ofiV Figure 2. f

My invention is intended'for use in connection with a suitable quadrant,as for example 10, which is rigidfon and as illustrated forms a partofthe bracket 11, and this is adapted to be attached'by aclanip 12, orits equivalenty to the steering rod of a machine'.

The quadrant is adaptevdto lie at substantially right angles'tothe'steering rod, andin practice wouldusually be just below the steeringwheel, to the endthat the `driver can manipulate readily the valvecontrol handle 14' which moves over the quadrantl 1`0 and which isadapted to be positioned in one of the notches 13 on the edge ofthequadrant, these notches in theeXample given representing first, second,third, neutral and reverse', positions. That is to sayfwhile thehandle'iis positioned in the notch 1, the gear shift will be changed tofirst position; when. in theVv notch N, it will'be in neutral position;and

when in the notch Rin'reverse. Gloviou'slyA there can. be any number ofthese positions,V

and the notches might represent something else than the position of thegear shifts withyf;

out affecting theinvention. Y Y Thehandle 14 is not'pivoted on thesteering rod as is the case with many handles for somewhat analogouspurposes, although thebra'clret 11 is carried by the steering rod,'but`by I having the handle entirely independent of thev rod, any possibleinterference therewithis avoided, and the handle can only s erveY its;

As y Vshown the handle has a substantialbearing purpose of positioning aAcertainfpart.

1 5 which is journaled as shown at 16 in the bracket 11, and the part15'0f the handle is rigidly secured toa valve rod 17, while a collar 17f on the rod also serves to close the lower end of the bearing 16, andas this collar lits into a corresponding socket in the bracket 11, andas the top of the bearing overlaps'said bracket, it will be seen that avery tight',"iirm, but easily operating joint is made which is'alsowaterproof.

In the example given the valve rod 17 oper-4 ates a pneumatic valve 18having a member 19 controlling the valve ports leading to the pipes 20,21, 22, 23v and 23. .The function of these it is not necessary tokdiscuss here because they have nothing to do with the invention, but ina pneumatic gear shift the valve 19`is moved so as to direct the orsuction as desired. v

`In the draWingI have also shown alock 24 which is used on the machineto lock the valve handle andmechanism against use, and soV serves as ananti-theft lock. rIhis forms no part of the present invention and isonly referred toin order to avoid confusion.

The handle 14 is curved upward between the'quadrantl() and the clamp 12so ast overlie the quadrant 10 and project beyond its outer edge, thehand grip portion being thus arranged to lie substantially parallel withthe steering wheel of the machine, and having a chamber y25 and a lug 26.which Y'overlaps the lower side of the quadrant 1Q as shown inFigure'2so thatthefhandle is guided above and below the quadrant so asto have a smooth and at the same time firm connection therewith;V

It will beobserved that as the handle 14 is movedV to each of itstemporary fixed positions opposite the several notches 13, the ball 27will engage the appropriate notch and pre- Yventthe handle from movingout accidental- Y ly 5v but when the handle is forcibly moved the ball27 will move against the spring28 so as to vslide out ofits notch. Butif through inadvertence, accident or mistake, the ,driver attempts tomove the handle into the reverse position, the movement will be cheekedby the detent 30 which lies on the under side of the quadrant near oneYend andadjacent there- Vverse notch, and p reventrany such movement.AThis detent has its free end 31 (see Figure `shaped to engage the lug26 to vprevent suchl movement, andthe detent is pivoted as kshown at 32to the quadrant 10 Vnear one end of the latter, and has on the upperside a clip 33, both clip and detent body merging into they finger piece3.4 `which'proiectsbe- Y yond the outer edgeV of the Vquadrant and isnormallyY pressed byga spring 34C to move the detent into position toengage the clip 26 as' shown in Figure 3. If, however, the driver hasthe real purpose.. of moving the lever or handlevto reverse position,hefcanjwith his thumbV or finger press on the iinger piecel so astoswing the detentSO out of thepath pressurel lug forms a part, so as topermit the necessary movement of the handle, but this it will beobserved requires a positive conscious act on the part of the driver sothat the movement can only be accomplished with intent.

I am aware that there have been locks against reverse as applied tovarious handle mechanism, but the particular which I have shown issimple, positi ve. and.

easily manipulated when desired to free the vits length, and a detentpivoted at one end of and straddling the quadrant and manuallyreleasable beyond the latter and within easy reach of the handle andarrangedto non mally prevent the movement of the handle to af certainposition with respect to the quadrant. Y v p 2. A structure of the kinddescribed com prising a bracket adapted for attachment to the steeringrod of a motor car, a quadrant rigid on the bracket, a handle pivoted onthel bracket andinovable over the quadrant, a lug on the handle andprojected beneath the quadrant, and means pivotally supportedat one endof the quadrant and having a portion lying beneath the quadrantl thepath of movement of thelug to limit the handle in its movement in onedirection.

3. In an attachment of the kind described., a bracket havingv a clampfor detachable mounting of the bracket upon a steering column, aquadrant` on the bracket, an operat-v ing lever pivoted in the bracketbetween the clamp and quadrant and movable over the latter, a lug on thelever and extending beneath the quadrant, and a detent pivotaliy one mvl K nameV to this specification this 8th day of December, y1926. i y lALVIN 'M, CRAIG,

f of the lug 26 or the handle14 of which-the.

